reconnaissance

noun

re·​con·​nais·​sance ri-ˈkä-nə-zən(t)s How to pronounce reconnaissance (audio)
-sən(t)s
: a preliminary survey to gain information
especially : an exploratory military survey of enemy territory

Examples of reconnaissance in a Sentence

There are two helicopters available for reconnaissance. They did a reconnaissance of the enemy's position.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The device is intended for intelligent underwater detection, real-time environmental monitoring, and potentially covert reconnaissance missions worldwide. Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2025 In a morning reconnaissance call with his team members, Balyan noted that the firecrackers were burst till early Tuesday morning against the Supreme Court ruling. Rajeev Tyagi, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2025 On beginning the new job, Blazy had spent time in the house archives while doing his own reconnaissance and research. Nathan Heller, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025 The closest Ukrainian soldiers were several kilometers from the site, and the Ukrainians did a careful reconnaissance before sending four men on foot. Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reconnaissance

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, recognition, from Middle French reconoissance, from Old French reconoistre to recognize

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reconnaissance was in 1779

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reconnaissance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconnaissance. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

reconnaissance

noun
re·​con·​nais·​sance ri-ˈkän-ə-zən(t)s How to pronounce reconnaissance (audio)
: a survey (as of enemy territory) to gain information
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!